Berkshires of Massachusetts welcome you to outdoor adventures in the mountains

It isn’t only about skiing and snowboarding at the Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort, although the trails and terrain parks for both are superb. When it comes to exciting outdoor pursuits, the Berkshires resort is chock-a-block. There’s mountain biking and hiking, walking trails and snowshoeing. Over at the Mountain Adventure Park, you can zoom down an alpine slide or mountain coaster, arc high into the sky on a giant swing, see Mt. Greylock and the Jericho Valley as you ascend and descend in a scenic chairlift ride, or fly through the air on a zip line. There’s also a rock-climbing wall, playground and bungy trampoline. In the Aerial Adventure Park, you can overcome challenges from rope bridges and cargo nets to zip lines and swinging logs in the elevated ropes course.

Between the historic Mohawk Trail and the Deerfield River is the base camp for your whitewater rafting adventure. Crab Apple Whitewater offers four different adventures in Massachusetts for individual rafters, families and groups. The Fife Brook section of the Deerfield River is exciting yet family friendly; the Monroe Bridge section full of big waves (and a snack time along the banks of a deep gorge). Millers River trips happen on special dam releases and natural flows from spring rains, and then there are the Funyak (inflatable kayak) trips on the Deerfield, MA’s more quiet lower section, with giant squirt guns provided for extra fun. At the base camp, an outdoor patio overlooks the river. Crab Apple recommends several nearby hotels and motels for overnight adventurers.

You’ll find four-season outdoor fun around every corner in the fabulous Berkshires. Summer means kayaking, fishing and swimming in the region’s pristine lakes and streams, along with golfing, biking, and horseback riding. See an outdoor performance at Shakespeare & Company or a concert under the stars on the picturesque lawn at Tanglewood. In the fall, hike through glorious mountain foliage, pick apples and pumpkins, or tackle a final whitewater rafting trip. Winter means alpine and cross-country skiing, snowboarding and ice skating - or days by fireplaces. In the spring, visit the baby animals at Hancock Shaker Village or take a ride in a hot air balloon. From holiday and harvest festivals to walking and scenic railway tours, there is always something exciting to see — and do — in the Berkshires.